EnLighten: A Photovoltaics Learning Environment in Virtual Reality

Immersive Learning in Photovoltaic Energy Education: A Comprehensive Review of Virtual Reality Applications

“…Moreover, Arntz et al [42] developed an immersive VR environment with a virtual photovoltaics array. This VR application enabled users to investigate the PV array components, like the corresponding circuits and the power inverter.…”

“…Most of the studies offer practical training environments for students, enabling hands-on experience. Only two studies [41,42] from this review explained on-grid PV systems that connected the solar systems to the utility grid, while two studies [20,43] focused on the off-grid PV systems. The rest of the studies did not clarify the type of system used in the virtual reality application.…”

“…Using VR in solar energy offered the ability to visualize the consequences of students' actions. Moreover, it allowed students to explore and learn about the performance of the PV modules with different weather statues [42].…”

“…Among all the studies in our review, four studies did not evaluate the effectiveness of using virtual reality technology in solar PV education [35,37,42,47]. In addition, only five studies used a mixed methods approach that combined quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the use of virtual reality [36,39,41,43,45].…”

“…VR technology can simulate real-life scenarios and allow students to explore and comprehend the consequences of their actions, increasing their engagement with the educational materials. Also, VR technology provides isolation from the external environment enabling the reduction in distraction and increasing the level of students' attention to the educational content [42]. Simulating the real world and interacting with 3D objects in the VR environment for solar energy system design keeps students engaged and immersed in the virtual environment.…”